2. This body, O son of Kunti, is called the kshetra (field); him who knows it, the sages call, the kshetrajna (knower of the field).

3. Know Me also as the knower of the field in all the fields, O Bharata: knowledge of the field and of the knower of the field I deem to be true knowledge.

4. I am the Self, O Gudakesa, dwelling in the Heart of every being; I am the beginning and the middle, and likewise the end of all beings.

9. Of the non-existent there is no being, and of what exists there is no non-being; the definite ascertainment of both is seen by the seers of the essence of Truth.

16. By devotion alone, without the 'otherness', O Arjuna, thus can I be known, and seen, and in essence entered, O Parantapa.

25. Whose every enterprise is without desire or motive, whose actions are burnt up in the fire of knowledge, him the wise call a Sage.

35. Having cast away all desire, that man who goes without longing, devoid of 'I' and 'mine' - he doth attain peace.

40. Content to take what chance may bring, having transcended the pairs, free from ill-will, and even-minded in success or failure, though he works, he is not bound.

41. The Lord, O Arjuna, dwells in the Heart of every being and by His mysterious power spins round all beings set on the machine.

42. Unto Him alone surrender, O Bharata, with all thy being; by His Grace shalt thou obtain Peace Supreme, the Abode Eternal.

Explanatory Note

What is the abiding Truth sought by man throughout the ages? How is it realized in this life of ours, a life so transient and yet so apparently full of sorrow? In answer to these questions (implicit in the opening verse of this Gita-booklet), Sri Krishna offered the eternal Message of Wisdom, KNOW THYSELF, which is also the quintessence of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi's teachings, which enjoin the earnest aspirant to enquire "WHO AM I?'', as the direct means to SELF-KNOWLEDGE.

In order to convey this Message in a pointed manner, Sri Maharshi, at the request of devotees, selected these forty-two out of the seven hundred verses of the Bhagavad-Gita, and arranged them in the particular order in which the reader finds in this booklet, SONG CELESTIAL.

The emphasis is primarily on jnana and bhakti margas, the path of nishkama-karma being implicit in either. Indeed, according to Sri Maharshi, it is only a jnani that can be a good karma yogi. These forty-two verses contain the essence of the Bhagavad-Gita, and they show to the aspirant the direct means to realize the Sat-Chit-Ananda Atman, the Self Absolute, which is the one, ultimate object of man's quest throughout the ages.
Desire, fear and anger presuppose duality, and duality is based on the mind. The wish to possess or do a thing, or the wish not to possess or not to do a thing, is desire.

The notion of possible loss or harm to a thing desired or the contrary notion with regard to a thing not desired is fear. The urge for aggressive action accompanied by fear of losing or of harm being done to a thing desired or fear of having to receive or to support a thing not desired, is anger. These three vices of the mind are, therefore, clearly interrelated. Without desire there is no fear, without fear there is no anger; and none of them can exist without the sense of duality. Duality is dependant on the mind, and, if the mind is destroyed, desire, fear and anger will also be destroyed. The only direct means of destroying the mind with its duality and the consequent vices of desire, fear and anger, is Atmanishta. Atmanishta means firm and unswerving abidance in the Atman or Self. It is the state of inherence in the Oneness of the Atman. Therefore, there is no scope for duality in Atmanishta. When Atmanishta becomes sahaja or spontaneous, the sense of duality is destroyed for ever.

Know this finally that the supreme state of beatitude is attained only by absolute surrender to the Lord Who dwells as the Self in the Heart, and by His Grace alone will you obtain Peace, the Abode Eternal.
This is the quintessence of Sri Krishna's Celestial Song of the Gita, which Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi has given us, and may His Grace enable us to realize the Peace and Bliss of the Self Transcendental!

Back to books page ------ Back to Ancient Texts Page ------ Back to Home page